This tangy, sweet, and tasty white sauce, also known as yum yum sauce, is perfect for everything and anything. Dip it, drizzle it, or smear it. The creamy mayonnaise-based sauce comes together in minutes with pantry staples and tastes just like the one from your favorite Japanese steakhouse!
I love making sauces and dressings at home. From fried pickle dip to whipped goat cheese to gochujang mayo, they’re such an easy way to take everyday meals from meh to yeah! This yum yum sauce is one of those condiments that instantly perks up a dish.
It’s the ultimate dipping sauce you’ll want to put on everything! And just so you know, despite showing up at most hibachi grills, this isn’t a traditional Japanese sauce. It’s actually a popular American invention!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
✨ It’s made with pantry staples. Nothing fancy or hard to find. Plus, you simply stir everything together in one bowl, and it’s done in just five minutes!
✨ Super easy to make. It’s a crowd-pleaser and completely customizable to taste. Add more ketchup to make it sweeter or spice it up with hot sauce.
✨ Creamy and flavorful, it’s an all-purpose sauce that can be used with anything: grilled veggies, sweet potato fries, rice bowls, or spicy tofu stir-fries.
✨ It keeps well in the fridge. So, you can make it ahead and use it all week long. Perfect for meal prep, busy weeknights, or adding a little magic to leftovers.
Yum Yum Sauce Ingredients
Mayonnaise is the base that gives hibachi white sauce its rich, creamy texture. Use store-bought ( my favorite is Kewpie mayo) or homemade vegan mayo.
Ketchup adds sweetness, color, a deep tomato flavor, and a familiar tang.
Sriracha makes it spicy. You can use any fiery sauce you like or even sambal oelek.
Butter has to be melted and then cooled. This is important. So it doesn’t cook the mayo. It also makes the hibachi sauce silkier and more flavorful.
Rice wine vinegar adds a bit of acidity that brightens the sauce and gives it a delicious tang. Apple cider vinegar is a good substitute.
Onion & garlic powder bring more depth and sharpness to the flavor.
Paprika adds just a mild spice. It’s more for that signature color of the sauce and smokiness.
Salt: Be careful with how much you add because every other ingredient in the yum yum sauce recipe has salt in it.
Please see the recipe below for full information about the ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Yum Yum Sauce
Making this yum yum sauce couldn't be easier! You just combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix. That's it!
Step 1: Combine mayonnaise, ketchup, Sriracha, rice wine vinegar, melted butter, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and salt in a small bowl.
Step 2: Mix well. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Top Tips
- Make sure the melted butter has cooled before adding it to other ingredients. We don't want hot/ warm butter to cook the mayo!
- It's important to let the sauce chill for a few hours. This helps the flavors combine well.
- Feel free to add a couple of tablespoons of water if you want a thinner consistency.
- Go easy on the salt, as mayonnaise, ketchup, and sriracha also contain salt. Do a final taste test after the sauce has chilled.
How to Serve
There is no wrong way to serve this hibachi white sauce recipe. You can use it any which way, and it'll perk up whatever you add it to.
- As a dipping sauce, serve it with fries, sweet potato wedges, tempura, loaded nachos, crispy tofu potstickers, a veggie platter, shrimp, chicken, or spring rolls.
- Thin it with a little water and drizzle it on twice-baked potatoes, fried rice, or crispy smashed potatoes. Or use it as a salad dressing.
- Add a dollop on grilled chicken, steak, or veggies like roasted cauliflower, oven-roasted carrots, or roasted Brussels sprouts.
- Spread it on wraps, sandwiches, and burgers instead of the usual mayo or mustard.
- Of course, you can serve it with hibachi-style meals like noodles and grilled veggies.
Recipe FAQs
Yum Yum Sauce is the creamy sauce you get at hibachi restaurants in America. It’s often served with grilled meats, fried rice, or veggies. You might also hear it called hibachi sauce or white sauce (even though it’s pink)!
The base of the sauce is mayo. But it gets its signature flavor from ketchup, garlic powder, paprika, vinegar, and a touch of sugar. Some versions (like mine) add sriracha for a gentle kick and melted butter for richness.
It’s slightly sweet, slightly tangy, and very creamy. The taste is flavorful and savory, not fiery.
Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge, and it’ll stay good for up to 7 days.
Absolutely! It gets better as it sits. Give it at least two hours in the fridge to let the flavors meld together.
📖 Recipe
Yum Yum Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp Ketchup
- 1 tbsp Sriracha sauce
- 1 tbsp Melted butter, cooled
- 1 tbsp Rice wine vinegar
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp Onion powder
- 1/2 tsp Paprika
- 1/4 tsp Salt
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk well. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
- Cover and refrigerate the sauce for at least 2 hours.
- Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Make sure the melted butter has cooled before adding it to other ingredients. We don't want hot/ warm butter to cook the mayo!
- It's important to let the sauce chill for a few hours. This helps the flavors combine well.
- Feel free to add a couple of tablespoons of water if you want a thinner consistency.
- Go easy on the salt, as mayonnaise, ketchup, and sriracha also contain salt. Do a final taste test after the sauce has chilled.
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